The Ilocos Times

INCOME BOOST. Bureau  of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources personnel distribute 50,000 tilapia fingerlings to members of indigenous people (IP) community on Tuesday, (Sept. 17, 2024) in Adams town, Ilocos Norte province. This is part of the Hapag Katutubo (indigenous table) project to empower IPs for inclusive growth. ( Photo courtesy of BFAR Ilocos Norte) By Leilanie G. Adriano Adams, Ilocos Norte —About 500 members of the indigenous peoples (IPs) community in this town look forward to harvesting more tilapia and catfish from their communal bodies of water and its aquaculture technology demonstration project. This, after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region 1 provided them a total of PHP300,000 worth of livelihood assistance. Nestled atop mountains, Adams is located approximately 108.3 kilometers north of the capital city of Laoag. With less than 3,000 residents, it is home to one of the indigenous peoples’ (IP) communities in northern Luzon, the Yapaya

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter CITY of batac —Micro, small and medium enterprises in the province are excited to explore the services of a sophisticated one-stop techno hub now made available closer to their homes. A former overseas Filipino worker-turned-entrepreneur Agnes Asuncion from Currimao, Ilocos Norte said “you do not need to travel by far or go out of the country to find a better fortune when there are opportunities waiting for you back home.” As a member of the Philippine Export Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT), Ms. Asuncion is just one among the hundreds and thousands of beneficiaries of various government programs and initiatives to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow and maximize their potential. “We thank MMSU and DTI for being behind us —from skills training, product development and marketing of our products. Through them, we are more confident now to export our products,” said Asuncion who is into dragon fruit soap-ma

  BJMP Batac District Jail Senior Inspector Antonio Sapaden presents to the members of the media the Bolinao Chicken Project with MMSU, ILARDEC and DOST. BJMP-Batac is the pilot area of the project. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter City of Batac —After the oyster mushroom production, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Batac District Jail is now the pilot area for the Bolinao chicken project in Region I. The project is a joint venture between Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), Ilocos Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILAARDEC) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) exclusively for Region I. Jail Senior Inspector Antonio Sapaden announced that BJMP Batac is “very lucky” as the DOST chose it as the project’s pilot area.   Mr. Sapaden explained that DOST funded the chicken coop construction in coordination with MMSU. The chicken coop has a cost of PHP100,000. The B